An act to amend Section 35551 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 53, as amended, Hueso.
Natural gas vehicles.

Existing state and federal law sets specified limits on the total gross weight imposed on the highway by any group of 2 or more consecutive axles. Existing federal law authorizes a vehicle operated by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas to exceed these weight limits, up to a specified maximum, by an amount equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system.

This bill would authorize a vehicle operated by an engine fueled wholly or partially primarily by natural gas to exceed these weight limits by an
amount, up to a specified maximum, equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system. The bill would additionally require the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies or the Department of Transportation to estimate the damage caused by vehicles operating pursuant to this authorization and report its findings to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Transportation on or before October 1, 2018.

Digest Key

Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
YES
Local Program:
NO

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 35551 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

35551.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or Section 35551.5, the total gross weight in pounds imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles shall not exceed that given for the respective distance in the following table:

Distance in feet betweenthe extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive

axles

2 axles

3 axles

4 axles

5 axles

6 axles

4
........................

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

5
........................

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

6
........................

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

7
........................

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

8
........................

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

34,000

9
........................

39,000

42,500

42,500

42,500

42,500

10
........................

40,000

43,500

43,500

43,500

43,500

11
........................

40,000

44,000

44,000

44,000

44,000

12
........................

40,000

45,000

50,000

50,000

50,000

13
........................

40,000

45,500

50,500

50,500

50,500

14
........................

40,000

46,500

51,500

51,500

51,500

15
........................

40,000

47,000

52,000

52,000

52,000

16
........................

40,000

48,000

52,500

52,500

52,500

17
........................

40,000

48,500

53,500

53,500

53,500

18
........................

40,000

49,500

54,000

54,000

54,000

19
........................

40,000

50,000

54,500

54,500

54,500

20
........................

40,000

51,000

55,500

55,500

55,500

21
........................

40,000

51,500

56,000

56,000

56,000

22
........................

40,000

52,500

56,500

56,500

56,500

23
........................

40,000

53,000

57,500

57,500

57,500

24
........................

40,000

54,000

58,000

58,000

58,000

25
........................

40,000

54,500

58,500

58,500

58,500

26
........................

40,000

55,500

59,500

59,500

59,500

27
........................

40,000

56,000

60,000

60,000

60,000

28
........................

40,000

57,000

60,500

60,500

60,500

29
........................

40,000

57,500

61,500

61,500

61,500

30
........................

40,000

58,500

62,000

62,000

62,000

31
........................

40,000

59,000

62,500

62,500

62,500

32
........................

40,000

60,000

63,500

63,500

63,500

33
........................

40,000

60,000

64,000

64,000

64,000

34
........................

40,000

60,000

64,500

64,500

64,500

35
........................

40,000

60,000

65,500

65,500

65,500

36
........................

40,000

60,000

66,000

66,000

66,000

37
........................

40,000

60,000

66,500

66,500

66,500

38
........................

40,000

60,000

67,500

67,500

67,500

39
........................

40,000

60,000

68,000

68,000

68,000

40
........................

40,000

60,000

68,500

70,000

70,000

41
........................

40,000

60,000

69,500

72,000

72,000

42
........................

40,000

60,000

70,000

73,280

73,280

43
........................

40,000

60,000

70,500

73,280

73,280

44
........................

40,000

60,000

71,500

73,280

73,280

45
........................

40,000

60,000

72,000

76,000

80,000

46
........................

40,000

60,000

72,500

76,500

80,000

47
........................

40,000

60,000

73,500

77,500

80,000

48
........................

40,000

60,000

74,000

78,000

80,000

49
........................

40,000

60,000

74,500

78,500

80,000

50
........................

40,000

60,000

75,500

79,000

80,000

51
........................

40,000

60,000

76,000

80,000

80,000

52
........................

40,000

60,000

76,500

80,000

80,000

53
........................

40,000

60,000

77,500

80,000

80,000

54
........................

40,000

60,000

78,000

80,000

80,000

55
........................

40,000

60,000

78,500

80,000

80,000

56
........................

40,000

60,000

79,500

80,000

80,000

57
........................

40,000

60,000

80,000

80,000

80,000

58
........................

40,000

60,000

80,000

80,000

80,000

59
........................

40,000

60,000

80,000

80,000

80,000

60
........................

40,000

60,000

80,000

80,000

80,000

(b) In addition to the weights specified in subdivision (a), two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. The gross weight of each set of tandem axles shall not exceed
34,000 pounds and the gross weight of the two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall not exceed 68,000 pounds.

(c) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.

(d) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of this chapter.

(e) The gross weight limits expressed by this section and Section 35550 shall include all enforcement tolerances.

(f) (1) A motor vehicle, if operated by an engine fueled wholly or partially primarily by compressed or liquefied natural gas, may exceed axle, tandem, gross, or bridge formula weight limits by an amount, not to exceed a maximum of 2,000 pounds, that is equal to the difference between the weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle and the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system.

(2) The weight exemption authorized pursuant to this subdivision is pursuant to subdivision (s) of Section 127 of Title 23 of the United States Code, as amended by Section 1410 of the Fixing America’s
Surface Transportation Act.

(g) (1) The University of California Institute of Transportation Studies, or, if the institute concludes it is unable to do so, the Department of Transportation, shall conduct an analysis to estimate the damage caused by vehicles operating pursuant to subdivision (f) and estimate a fee that compensates for the cost of that damage. The institute or the department shall complete this analysis and report its findings to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Transportation on or before October 1, 2018.

(2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subdivision is inoperative on October 1,
2022, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.